A 6.8-magnitude earthquake has hit Southern Japan, with a tsunami warning issued, but no major damage was reported.
The earthquake struck the Kyushu region at 9:19 pm (local time) on Monday according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, who later confirmed the quake did not warrant special “megaquake” measures related to seismic activity in the Nankai Trough.
The Nankai Trough, where the Philippine Sea Plate is slipping under the Eurasia Plate at the bottom of the sea off the southwest coast of Japan, produces huge earthquakes every century or so and strong quakes nearby to this are seen as an indictor that one of these megaquakes could be more likely.
Tsunami advisories for waves of a maximum height of one metre were issued and people asked to stay away from coastal waters, but ultimately several smaller tsunamis of only around 20 centimetres were detected at ports in the region and all advisories lifted later the same day.
Only minor damage occurred, including a broken window at a train station and objects falling off shelves, with one man slightly injured after falling over in his home according to local media reports.